Steam producing system, particularly adapted for sauna baths



Dec. 27, 1966 c, c N 3,293,666

STEAM PRODUCING SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR SAUNA BATHS Filed Jan. 7, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Cmlc Casaltnfl United States Patent 3,293,666 STEAM PRODUCING SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR SAUNA BATHS Carlo Casalini, Via Zamboni 2, Bologna, Italy Filed Jan. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 336,313 Claims. c1. 4-175) This invention relates to steam producing systems and more particularly steam producing systems adapted for Finnish steam baths called st-tuna."

Steam producing systems of known type for producing steam to be used in connection with so called Finnish sauna are normally somewhat rudimentary, so that to obtain an approximately correct quantity of steam at an approximately correct temperature, pressure and humidity degree a long experience on the part of the personnel taking care of such steam producing systems is required.

As it is well known, the steam production in these known systems occurs by pouring water onto red hot elements, so that consequent thereupon steam develops having characteristics as to temperature, pressure and humidity degree which are rather disuniform over the time and which can be controlled and adjusted to a more rational adaptability of requirements only by the experience of the personnel in charge of such systems.

It is the main object of this invention to provide a steam producing system of the aforesaid type by which it is possible to obtain easily a steam production having the required characteristics as to quantity, pressure and humidity degree.

It is another object of this invention to provide a steam producing system of the aforesaid type which will be easily controllable for its operation by any, also unskilled, user.

It is still another object of the invention to develop a steam producing system having such a structural shape as to be acquirable by any user whomsoever.

It is a further and not least object of this invention to provide the possibility of constructing such a steam producing system with particularly simple and practical parts of safe and lasting application efficiency having a relatively economical cost.

These and other objectr are attained by the steam producing system according to this invention, particularly adapted for steam baths called Finnish sauna, which is characterized in that it comprises essentially, combined with each other, one plate-shaped member consisting of a heat'resisting and heat conducting material, provided with a plurality of uniformly distributed holes passing through the thickness thereof, a plurality of hollow bodies consisting likewise of heat resisting and heat conducting material, having a part adapted to engage into said through-holes in annular contact relationship therewith, and a plurality of openings or ducts therein putting the corresponding internal cavity of said hollow body into communication with the outside, a plurality of branch pipes connected respectively to one of said openings or ducts of said hollow bodies and to fluid supplying manifolds, means for the continuous heating of said plateshaped member, means for the regulation of the fluid flow towards the cavities of said hollow bodies through said manifolds and said branch pipes, means which are adjustably sensitive to the temperature of the aforesaid plate-shaped member and control and/ or actuation means for said heating means and/ or said means for the regulation of the fluid flow, controlled by said means sensitive to the temperature of the plate-shape member in such a way as to secure the steam generation under desired conditions.

Another characteristic of the steam producing system according to this invention consists in providing a cabin designed to constitute a vaporization room or chamber and comprising, for the purpose of providing an autonomous plant, a metallic carrying structure with walls having the internal surface of material being, impervious to humidity and at least one or more aeration. units, lighting means and one set of shower members, branching off the water source and cooperating with a heating device.

Further characteristics and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but non-limiting embodiment of the steam producing system according to this invention when taken in con iunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically in a perspective view an autonomous cabin system for producing steam according to this invention;

FIG. 2 shows in an enlarged scale and in perspective view the steam generating assembly;

FIG. 3 shows in a still more enlarged scale the steam distributing member in a partial vertical section.

Referring now to the drawing in FIG. 1 it will be seen that the represented embodiment of the sauna plant is an autonomous cabin system enclosing all devices or assemlies necessary to take steam baths and accessory devices or assemblies for subsequent personal cares of the user. The cabin 1 is, for example, constituted of a metallic carrying structure with walls having an internal surface dressed and matched with a special balsa wood which besides performing its thermal insulating function in wet environment also serves to maintain inside the cabin a particularly healthy and fragrant atmosphere. Said cabin 1 is provided with an entrance door 1a having a hermetical seal, a conveniently shaped bottom 1b with such a structure as to permit to drain condensation water and on the upper part with one or more aeration units, 1c of whatever known type. Inside such cabin there is installed along one of its walls the steam generating assembly as diagrammatically represented in said FIG. 1 and generally indicated by 2, a water feed pipe from a source (not represented in the drawing) to said steam generating assembly 2 as will be seen in detail below a shower member assembly, generally indicated by 4 branching off said water source via a heating device (boiler) 5 of whatever known type with normal cocks, these too branching off said water source and/ or said heating device 5, a normal lighting system with conveniently screened, protected and insulated electrical conductors and an auxiliary pipe line 6 connected to the tanks or containers 7 of healing or aromatic substances and to the aforesaid steam generating assembly 2 as will be seen more in detail hereinafter.

The steam generating assembly 2 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 comprises a body or base mass 8 of heat resisting shaped as vertical walls on which a plate-shaped member 9 is horizontally supported.

Such body 8 with said plate-shaped member 9 defines a room 10 below said plate-shaped member 9 (see FIG. 2), in which room 10 a burner of whatever known type (FIG. 1) and generally indicated by 11 operates for the heating of said plate-shaped member 9 :as will be seen hereinafter.

Under said plate-shaped member 9 there is further provided a duct 12 for the conveyance of burned wastes and a discharge pipe 13 (FIG. 2).

With the above burner 11 there is associated (FIG. 1) a tank 14 of fuel fluid fed to the burner via the pipe line 15, as well as means of known type for the control of said burner 11, generally indicated by 16 and 17, respectively. For dilatation purposes the plate-shaped member 9 is formed of two complementary parts 9--9a of heat resisting good thermal conducting material as for example chrome cast iron and is provided on the lower face thereof with a perimetral slot in which the tapered upper end 8a of the vertical walls of the body 8 penetrates for the horizontal support of the plate-shaped member 99a.

Said plate-shaped member 9--9a is provided with a plurality of holes 18 passing through the thickness thereof (FIG. 3), which holes are uniformly distributed and terminate at the upper face of said horizontal plate-shaped member 9-9a where they are surrounded by a collar 19, whilst on the other face, that is on the lower face, said plate-shaped member 8 is provided with a plurality of ribs or fins 20 interposed between said holes. In each of said through-holes 18 a neck part of a hollow body 21 consisting too of heat resisting good heat conducting material and having substantially a bulbous shape with an extended neck part 21a having an annulary ribbed outer surface as visible in FIG. 3 and an intermediate part in the form of a flange 21d. Said neck part 21a is designed to fit in a corresponding hole 18 in annular contact relationship through its outer annular rib surface and with the flange part 21b resting upon the corresponding collar 19. The portion of the bulbous hollow body 21 which is above its flange-like part 21b has a plurality of holes 22 putting the corresponding internal cavity 210 into communication with the outside. One of such holes 22a is provided with a vertical axis, substantially coinciding with the axis of the corresponding neck 21a and hole 18 receiving the neck of the hollow body 21. In this hole 22a a tubular member 23 branched off a manifold 24 for water feed connected to the pipe line 3 is inserted. I

Said tubular member 23 extends inside the cavity 210 of the hollow body 21 where it terminates with a nozzle part 23a the orifice whereof has a determined diameter. The manifold 24 is supported by two elbowed brackets 25 fastened by means of screws 26 or other equivalent fastening means at corresponding vertical lug shaped projections 911 provided on two opposite sides of the plateshaped member 9. Such brackets 25 are shaped in such a way as to support also a second manifold 27 above and parallel to the manifold 24, to which manifold 27 branch pipes 28 are connected respectively terminating into one of the holes 22 of a corresponding hollow body 21. Such manifold 27 is connected to the pipe leading to the containers 7 of healing and/or aromatic substances.

The plate shaped member 99a is provided on its upper face with a perimetral channel 90 for collecting and draining the condensation water and can be made as the bulbous hollow bodies 21 of heat resisting heat conducting material conveniently coated with enamel. With said plate-shaped member 9-9a there cooperate feeler means which are adjustably sensitive to temperature of a type di per se well known and connected to control and actuation means 16 and 17 of the burner 11 (FIG. 1) and generally indicated by 29 (FIG. 2).

Control panel means like that indicated in 30 outside the cabin 1 are provided for the arrangement thereon of manual and acousticvisual control devices for all abovedescribed operating devices such as for example the electrical switches 31 and related spy-holes, associated with the aeration assemblies 10, one thermomanometer 32, one alarm ring 33 with related electrical pushbutton 34, the electrical switches 35 of the internal lighting system with related spy-holes, the electrical switch 36 for the ignition of the heating device 5 for the water with related spy-hole 37 a device 38 for measuring the humidity degree of the steam generated and still other control and actuation means of similar type and well known associated with the steam producing system.

All electrical conductors, pertaining to such control system are collected in the protective screened tubular member 39. Underneath the control panel 30 there is further provided a tap 40 as an interceptor means of the water flow in the above-described ducts.

The operation of the so devised system is easy and practical. Once a determined operating temperature of the plate-shaped member has been reached, and consequently of the hollow bodies associated therewith, the water is caused to flow from the line 3 to the manifold 24 and via related branch pipes 23 into the inside of the cavity 210 of such hollow bodies 21 via the nozzle orifice 23a of the nozzle member 23. As soon as the water comes in contact with the hot portion 21a of the hollow bodies 21 it immediately converts into steam which will be discharged through the holes 22 and will invade the inside of cabin 1. The continuous contact of the water with the hot walls cause the water to absorb the heat from the plate-shaped member 99a the temperature of which is ascertained by thermosensitive means 29. Such means 29, preset at the desired regulated temperature will continually act on the control and actuation means 16 and 17 of the burner 11 and/ or on the regulation means of the water flow in such a way as to obtain the continuous steam generation under preset regulated conditions. Simultaneously with the water flow, in the hollow bodies 21 there will also flow the healing or aromatic substances for example of mugopine and the like, thus obtaining a particularly suitable steam which is beneficial for the purposes of steam baths and the so called sauna.

By such a steam generating system the possibility is afforded to obtain at constant temperatures, pressures and humidity degree. Possible water drops due to condensation near the exit of holes 22 will fall on the plate 9-9a which is continually thermo-regulated, and will be immediately converted into steam, thus contributing to stabilize the preset uniformity characteristics of the steam to be generated.

It will be appreciated that the provision of uniformly distributed bulbous hollow bodies greatly facilitate the regulation of the steam generation, so that such regulation could also be made by hand, and by an unskilled user.

In fact, one of the difficulties of the known steam generating systems of this kind was to obtain variations of the produced quantity of steam without substantially varying the physical condition of the produced steam and in particular the temperature thereof.

In fact it is preferred in sauna bath that the temperature of the obtained steam should not vary with the variations of the steam quantity which the user may change at wish. The variation of the steam quantity is obtained by varying the rate of fed flow of the water. However when the quantity of water is increased in the usual sauna plants the temperature of the steam decreases and vice-versa.

In the plant according to the invention an increase in the fed quantity of water does not change the temperature of the steam within limits. In fact, usually during operation the water is evaporated within the cavities of the hollow bodies and from the holes thereof steam is ejected.

Normally on the bottom of the cavities of the hollow bodies 21 there is a certain quantity of boiling water. When the rate of the fed flow of water is increased all the introduced water could not be evaporated within the cavities of the hollow bodies 21 and from the holes 22 water will be ejected. This water will fall on the hot plate member 9-9a and will immediately evaporate thereon. This reserve of heat accumulated in the plate member allows to increase the production of steam almost simultaneously with the increase of water flow.

To avoid the user accidentally to touch the plate member 99a or the hollow bodies 22, the plate member is covered with a dome like cover 2a (FIG. 1) provided with a plurality of openings wherefrom steam is discharged into the cabin.

I claim:

1. In a sauna bath cabin a steam generator comprising a plate member a plurality of lodgements in said plate member a plurality of hollow bodies fitted in said lodgements, duct means conveying evaporation fluids within the interior of said hollow bodies, openings in said hollow bodies providing communications between the interior of said hollow bodies and the outside and heating means for heating said plate member and said hollow bodies.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lodgements are through holes and said hollow bodies have a spherical shape and a neck portion fitting within said through holes.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said steam generator comprises further a base of refractory material in the form of an upwardly open box whereon said plate member is supported and wherein said heater is a burner member spouting incandescent combustion gases below said plate member and within such box like base, and discharge means communicating with such box like case for discharging the combustion gases.

4-. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said duct means, comprise a first manifold for supplying water to the apparatus, first branch pipes connecting said first manifold with each of said hollow bodies, a second manifold for supplying additional substances to the interior of said hollow bodies and second branch pipes connecting said hollow bodies with said second manifold.

5. A sauna bath cabin according to claim 1, further comprising automatic control means, for controlling the temperature, the heat and water supply, a hermetically closable door, aeration units, and a shower within said cabin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SAUNA BATH CABIN A STEAM GENERATOR COMPRISING A PLATE MEMBER A PLURALITY OF LODGEMENTS IN SAID PLATE MEMBER A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW BODIES FITTED IN SAID LODGEMENTS, DUCT MEANS CONVEYING EVAPORATION FLUIDS WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOLLOW BODIES, OPENINGS IN SAID HOLLOW BODIES PROVIDING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOLLOW BODIES AND THE OUTSIDE AND HEATING MEANS FOR HEATING SAID PLATE MEMBER AND SAID HOLLOW BODIES. 